The group of lawyers representing the DRC, led by Robert Amsterdam in Washington, United States, and William Bourdon in Paris, France, wrote to the company’s president, Tim Cook, demanding explanations about the origin of the resources used to manufacture its products.

The jurists granted a three-week deadline for the company to answer on supply chain structure which, according to a report by the Amsterdam law firm, could be contaminated with minerals illegally extracted from Congolese territory.

The alleged report accuses Rwanda and private entities of being the suppliers, something the DRC government has alleged on several occasions, noting that Kigali’s support for armed groups in the east of the country is aimed at seizing resources in the area, rich in copper and cobalt.

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